Google UK Street View launching in spring

Privacy groups sure to step up the anti-Google campaign

Google Street View will launch later this spring featuring fully 3D representations of many areas of Britain's metropolises, including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh

Users will be able to pop along to Google Maps feature and virtually travel around at street level, with millions of 3D photographs used to offer a 360° horizontal and 290° vertical view of their location.

Google Street View teams have been scouring and photographing key UK cityscapes since July earlier this year, causing some concern amongst privacy campaigners.

Privacy concerns

British pressure group Privacy International claims Google's technology breaches data protection laws and is considering taking the case to the Information Commissioner.

Privacy International spokesperson Simon Davis, said earlier this year: "In our view they need a person's consent if they make use of a person's face for commercial ends."

For its part, Google has promised to ensure that faces of any people photographed are obscured.